Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT), the senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said Thursday that he is “deeply” troubled by the Pentagon’s double-tap strikes on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean.
Having viewed video from the attack, Himes said it’s clear U.S. forces targeted survivors who posed no threat to American security.
From The Hill:
“I reviewed the video, and it’s deeply, deeply troubling,” Himes said. “The fact is that we killed two people who were in deep distress and had neither the means nor obviously the intent to continue their mission.”
The controversy surrounding the Sept. 2 strikes has captivated Capitol Hill since The Washington Post first reported details of the operation last week.
According to the Post report, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had ordered his subordinates to “kill everybody” aboard the boat.
When two survivors were detected clinging to the shattered vessel, Bradley ordered another strike in order to comply with Hegseth’s directions, the Post reported.
Himes, however, said Bradley had challenged that account in his briefing with the Intelligence Committee leaders.
“The admiral confirmed that there had not been a ‘kill them all’ order, and that there was not an order to grant ‘no quarter,’” Himes said. He declined to provide further details.
Read the full report here.
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